@RISC OS Re: My fake google plus

Re: I signed up for it once

One of my Google account names is so obviously fake that an idiot could spot it, but I've had no problems. So, what kind of people are we dealing with here? I'm quite happy with my 2 x 15GB of cloudy storage but not impressed by Google+.

Re: says

Your example of the second law of thermodynamics would not be science by consensus; it would be science by diktat. Science by consensus is when things like climate change (or is it global warming?) and the safety of MMR vaccines are determined by newspapers and politicians after gauging public attitudes.

Oh FFS!

If they all told the truth, there would be no need for all this argument and legal action. Oh, ....I'm sorry ..... that was a stupid thing to say. We now live in a world where lying by politicians and corporations is standard and required practice.

A hundred of the wee pods

I don't understand this bit.

" ... as the combination of IP address and time of service usage can uniquely identify users."

I'm puzzled as to how this would work or give any additional risk to my privacy. Website operators already know that live in Mytown in England and use VM as an ISP, but that's as far as it goes, I think. When I'm away from home, they know I'm somebody who uses the O2 network but they don't know that I'm the same one who lives in Mytown, unless I don't clear my cookies.

Can anyone propose a 'scenario' that explains the additional risk to my privacy; one that doesn't involve VM or O2 giving out information about me. (I assume they don't do that for anyone except the police and security services.)

Re: From a Nexus 4 owner

Get a nice colour matched flip case (on e-bay). That's the first thing I do with every smartphone I've had.

I'll be keeping my Nexus 4 for at least another year since it does all I need/want it to do and more. At about Christmas time or just after, second hand Nexus 4 prices in e-bay should be tempting to many.

What about the ones that gave in?

Is there any difference between Apple's use of wireless tech used in mobile devices and the other companies' use of it? If not, then they can consider backing out of the licensing deals because "we were bamboozled by slimy lawyers". Or, maybe I misunderstand how the real world works.

Re: Neigh sayers

Re: Just curious

The figure of about 14 billion years is the generally accepted age of the universe. The size is a different thing.

I get puzzled by how the expansion of the universe affects the distance and time taken for that light to reach us. Thirteen billion years ago, the light from that galaxy was produced and started a journey outwards from its source. So, we must now be 13 billion light years away from where that galaxy used to be. But that galaxy was moving away from our present location (and everything else) at the time. So, the cold dead embers of that galaxy must be further away than 13 billion light years by now. So how big is the universe?

The language of the Internet is universal and is the language of TC/IP protocols and the like. This is universally understood by the equipment that forms the internet. What us puny humans actually send over the internet is a minor consideration.

@AC 18:01

Newspapers read the letters before they publish them, otherwise they'd be full of rude/obscene/complaining letters. Newspaper websites have moderators who read the letters and also have 'flag lists' so they can home in on known 'trouble makers'. Facebook open a channel that lets their users post content that is not seen by any Facebook staff before it appears on the website. That is the big and legally recognised difference.

Having said that, I'd reward users who flagged seriously damaging content with some kind of brownie point system. Maybe extra Farmville crops, or whatever. (I may have got that wrong, I don't use Facebook.)

@All of you. Re: Was this written by a 14 year old?

I'm wondering about the viability (and advisability) of outsourcing the proofreading and correction of El Reg articles to the commentardiat. There would need to be some parameter tweaking by the official Reg staff and some heavy initial scoring, along with an algorithm for determining which commentards were given the tasks, etc. You know what would be needed ......

Facts and figures?

What is the energy storage density per kilogram and per litre compared to LIon batteries and what is the likely cost comparison? I can't imagine that this would be cheaper than making an equivalent increase in the volume of an existing battery design.

Also, if it's that good, why not replace the entire battery with a lump made form this 'super capacitor' material? I wonder what it's stored energy loss rate is.......... etc.

@Khaptain Re: It must get really, really boring

If you were walking down the street where you live, where your 'community' is, the place you call home; then imagine someone called out to you, "Hey cute buns, nice ass you got there, wanna come and sit on my dick?"

I'm sure you'd have a little 'secretly pleased' smile on your face and be happy that you were still attractive enough to induce sexual desire in a man. Remember, it's a compliment.

"Microsft pulls Win 8.1 RT update ..."

Re: Verifyable and open standards

I think that all the mathematics that underpins encryption is public domain knowledge. So, if anyone tries to claim IP rights on a particular implementation then everyone else can easily develop a different implementation with the same end result.

CFO says "There won't be one atom of carbon emitted ...."

You'd think, in these modern times, that people who are capable of reaching that position would make a small effort to understand the basic operating principles of the real world. I was dumbfounded when I read that and actually spent time trying to figure out what he might have been trying to say.

Re: Win 2000 is still out there

In case any Windows waifs are worried by that, it should be pointed out that 'wobbly windows' arrive via a third party eye candy application. They are not part of any usual Linux distro.

I have MINT set up to look like XP, with pop-out toolbars at the top and sides of the screen, and they're better than the XP toolbars were. It's great. (I don't have any eye candy though. I despise eye candy.)

Re: It's 'naturally' biased

It's 'naturally' biased

Given that they all have mirror symmetry about the vertical centre, as do humans and our faces, and since human eyes/brains are very good at finding and recognising faces; it's to be expected that people will 'see' clowns and other anthropomorphic things. Maybe a few butterfiles as well.

GPS spoofing

If you wanted to cause a ship to alter course, wouldn't it be easier to spoof local GPS signals? This would have to be done slowly and carefully in a sneaky way, which is quite possible.

I wonder when the AIS system was designed and its methods and protocols decided on. If it was some years ago, then the 'modern' security concerns of terrorism and piracy would have been hardly considered if at all.

I also wonder if the mandatory AIS system has IP that is owned and licensed by a cosy cartel that keeps on milking its cash cow and has no interest in spending money to make it better. After all, why did it need Trend Micro to figure all this out and do experiments and investigations.

Re: One Ring to Rule Them (and in the darkness bind them)

I've had a very close look at the plans and designs for this building. If you zoom in really close, you'll see that everything is made from of millions of small cubes, all of idential size and form factor. It's pure genius! It means that everything can be mass produced with slight tweaks and configuration at the on-site assembly stage. Spare parts stocking will be simplified because of that too.

I'll keep an eye on my junk mail from now on

I have two comparatively mild but chronic diseases, one of which requires daily medication. I'll let El Reg know if I start to get any targeted mail that seems to imply any knowledge of my medical condition. It would be useful if other commentards in a similar situation could do this.